The present invention generally pertains to medical apparatus and is particularly directed to apparatus that allows various features of a patient's face, such as the eyes, nose and/or mouth, to be observed while the patient is in a prone position.
Such an apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,737 to William Mazzei, Gregory Jordan and An Vu. The apparatus includes a facial cushion for providing cranial support for a patient during surgery. The facial cushion is dimensioned for achieving optimum fit and pressure diffusion upon the face of the patient. The facial cushion has a frontal aperture and viewing passages in the cushion sidewalls. The aperture and the viewing passages are so dimensioned and relatively disposed that the eyes, nose and mouth of a patient in the prone position and wearing the facial cushion may be seen through the viewing passages from positions adjacent to the sidewall viewing passages. In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a mirrored surface, which is disposed beneath the cushion to enable upright individuals standing adjacent to the facial cushion to view images of the features of the patient's face that are visible through the aperture and reflected off of the mirrored surface.